Table of Contents

The Irish poet, playwright, and short story writer, Lord
Dunsany (Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett), was born in London
on July 24, 1878. Although he is considered a writer of the
Irish Literary Renaissance and knew the main figures of the
movement, Dunsany was a British subject who associated primarily
with the British aristocracy. He attended Cheam and Eton, and
received his military education at the Royal Military Academy at
Sandhurst.

During his military career Dunsany was transferred to
Gibraltar, where he developed a fascination for the Middle East
that is reflected in many of his short stories. After
participating in the Boer Wars in South Africa, during which he
befriended Rudyard Kipling, Dunsany returned to his estate in
County Meath, Ireland.

Dunsany succeeded his father as the eighteenth baron in
1899. In 1904 he married Lady Beatrice Child-Villiers and began
a period of great literary productivity, in which he produced
numerous plays and short stories. Following service in the first
World War, Dunsany became the Irish chess champion, a big game
hunter, and a popular lecturer in Great Britain and the United
States.

Lord Dunsany's first play, The Glittering Gate (1909), was
written for production at Dublin's Abbey Theatre at the request
of William Butler Yeats. Some of the other plays written by
Dunsany include Kinq Arqimenes and the Unknown Warrior (1911),
The Gods of the Mountain (1911), A Night at an Inn (1916), The
Queen's Enemies (1916), The Laughter of the Gods (1919), and If
(1921).

Lord Dunsany's works, especially his short stories, are
known for their fantasy, myth, humor, and exoticism. His
illustrator, the well-known artist S.H. Sime, created drawings
that were as fanciful as Dunsany's stories. The narrator of many
of these fantastic tales, a character named Joseph Jorkens,
appears frequently in Dunsany's works. Some of the Jorkens books
include The Travel Tales of Mr. Jorkens (1931), Jorkens Remembers
Africa (1934), Jorkens Has a Large Whiskey (1940), and Jorkens
Borrows Another Whiskey (1954). Other collections of his stories
include The Sword of Welleran, and Other Stories (1908), The Book
of Wonder: a chronicle of little adventures at the edge of the
world (l9l2),and Fifty-one Tales (1915).

In addition to plays and short stories, Lord Dunsany also
wrote several books of poetry, including Fifty Poems (1929) and
War Poems (1941).

After publishing over 55 books and hundreds of articles and
plays, Lord Dunsany died in Dublin on October 25, 1957.

The Montgomery Evans II Collection of Lord Dunsany
Manuscripts, spanning the years 1912-1935, consists of galley
proofs, typescripts, printed journals, two letters, tear sheets,
and a play program. The collection of twenty-one items was
originally gathered by Montgomery Evans II. They were a part of
Evans' larger collection of published material by or about Lord
Dunsany. The journals bear Evans' stamp and the two folios in
the collection bear his bookplates, which were designed by Lord
Dunsany's illustrator, S.H. Sime.

The collection is organized into two series, manuscripts and
printed material. Series I. Manuscripts consists of a typescript
of Dunsany's short story, "The Escape From the Valley;" the
galley proofs of his collection of plays, Plays of Gods and Men;
typescripts and galley proofs for the short stories "The
Mermaid's Husband" and "King" (also titled "The Electric King");
a letter from Dunsany to Evans; and a typescript poem titled "May
You Go Safe."

Series II. Printed material includes tear sheets of four
Dunsany short stories which appeared in The Evening Standard;
issues of The Poetry Review and The Irish Review, which contain
stories by Dunsany; a program for a performance of Lord Dunsany's
play, "If;" a tear sheet of "The Postman of Otford;" and an
article about Dunsany. The material in both series is arranged
alphabetically by title.

Other manuscripts written by Lord Dunsany are available in
the Literary and Historical Manuscripts Collection (Ms 99) in
Special Collections. Some autograph notes and other letters may have been
found tipped in several books from the Montgomery Evans II
collection which were transferred to the printed collections in
Special Collections. These items are listed on the final page of
this finding aid.

For a complete list of the Lord Dunsany books and
manuscripts collected by Montgomery Evans II, please ask a
manuscripts librarian.

Series I. Manuscripts, 1917-1934
Montgomery Evans II collected a number of galley
proofs and typescripts, as well as one letter from
Dunsany. Includes short stories, a poem, and one
collection of plays. Arranged alphabetically by
title.
Fl "The Electric King," [1931]
Typescript with autograph corrections (35 pp.). The
signature on the typescript has been cut out. Also includes
a set of galley proofs (1931 Feb 13) which bear extensive
autograph notes and corrections by Dunsany (7 pp.). Bound
in folio boards bearing the bookplate of Montgomery Evans
II. Three sheets of galleys have been removed to the
oversize section.
F2 "The Escape from the Valley," [n.d.]
Typescript short story bearing autograph corrections and
signature of Lord Dunsany (20 pp.). Published in the
collection, Mr. Jorkens Remembers Africa (London: William
Heinemann, 1934).
F3 "King," 1931 Feb 13
Galley proofs of the short story "King" bearing autograph
corrections of Dunsany (7 pp.). Removed to oversize
section.
F4 Letter from Dunsany to Evans, 1934 Dec 6
Autograph letter signed from Dunsany to Montgomery Evans
responding to an invitation (2 pp.).
F5 "May You Go Safe," [n.d.]
Typescript poem by Dunsany typed on "Allerton House"
letterhead (1 p.). Originally laid in a copy of Dunsany's
Fifty Poems (London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1929--See Spec PR
6007 .U6 F45 1929).
F6 "The Mermaid's Husband," [1930]
Typescript with the original title of this short story,
"Mrs. Jorkens" (26 pp.). The typescript is signed by the
author and bears his autograph corrections. Also includes
six pages of galley proofs with corrections (1930 Sep 6) and
a letter from the editor regarding these proofs (1930 Oct
6). Material bound in folio boards with the bookplate of
Montgomery Evans II. Two sheets of galleys have been
removed to the oversize section.
F7 Plays of Gods and Men, [1917]
Galley proofs with notes and corrections by Dunsany
(87 pp.). Published by Talbot Press, Dublin, in 1917.
Plays included in the collection are "The Laughter of the
Gods" (two sets of proofs), "The Queen's Enemies," "The
Tents of the Arabs," (two sets of proofs), and "A Night in
an Inn." Removed to oversize section.
Series II. Printed Material, 1912-1935
Consists of issues of The Poetry Review and The
Irish Review, tear sheets from The Evening
Standard, a play program, and tear sheets from an
unidentified source; all of which contain stories
or plays written by Dunsany. Also includes the
tear sheets of an article about Dunsany.
F8 "The Gods of the Mountain" in The Poetry Review, 1913 Jan
Copy of the issue of The Poetry Review (vol. II, no. 1)
containing Lord Dunsany's play, "The Gods of the Mountain"
(pp. 17-35).
F9 "If," 1927 Nov 7
Play program for a performance of Lord Dunsany's "If" at The
Little Theatre in New York. Also includes a tear sheet of
an article written by Flora Merrill titled "Cleverness the
Shallowest Part of Art, Says Dunsany." This article was
published in the June 20, 1926 issue of The World. Removed
to oversize section, with a photocopy available in this
folder.
FIO Jorkens Stories published in The Evening Standard, 1934-1935
Four tear sheets of short stories published in The Evening
Standard. All four stories involve Dunsany's character, Mr.
Jorkens. Titles include "The Persian Spell" (1934 Feb 26),
"Earth's Secret" (1934 May 10), "The Bare Truth, " (1934 Jun
22), and "Jorkens Retires" (1935 Jul 31). The tear sheets
have been removed to the oversize section and preservation
photocopies are available in this folder.
Fll "A Phantasy" in The Poetry Review, 1914 Apr
Copy of the issue of The Poetry Review (vol. IV, no. 4)
containing Lord Dunsany's "A Phantasy" (pp. 228-229).
F12 "The Postman of Otford," [1912]
Tear sheet of "The Postman of Otford," a short story by
Dunsany. Taken from an unidentified periodical. Originally
laid in Montgomery Evans' copy of The Book of Wonder (Spec
PR 6007 .U6 B6 1912). 1 p.
F13 "A Story of Land and Sea" in The Irish Review, 1914 Sep-Nov
Copy of the issue of The Irish Review containing Dunsany's
short story, "A Story of Land and Sea" (pp. 318-336).
F14 "Three Tales" in The Poetry Review, 1914 May
Copy of the issue of The Poetry Review (vol. IV, no. 5)
containing Dunsany's "Three Tales" (pp. 261-262). The three
stories are "Charon," "The Prayer of the Flowers," and "The
Assignation."
Other Manuscripts by Dunsany
Items found in Literary and Historical Manuscripts (Ms 99).
F301 Dunsany Letter to unidentified, 1913 Mar 8
ALS, 4 pp.
F354 "A Tale of Revenge," [1950]
Carbon typescript of Dunsany's short story, "A Tale of
Revenge," signed with autograph corrections. 8 pp.
F355 "A Matter of Law," [n.d.]
Carbon typescript of Dunsany's short story, "A Matter of
Law." 16 pp.
Items found in books from the Montgomery Evans II Collection
Bierstadt, Edward Hale. Dunsany the Dramatist (Boston: Little,
Brown, and Company, 1917).
Tipped in: ALS from Lord Dunsany to Mr. Bierstadt (1917 Jul
17) indicated that he has corrected this copy of his book.
The book bears extensive notes by Dunsany. Also includes an
ALS from Lady Dunsany to Bierstadt (1917 Dec 10) and
clippings. Photocopies of the letters and inscriptions are
available in the collection folder. See Spec PR 6007 .U6
Z5 1917.
Dunsany, Lord. The Curse of the Wise Woman (London: William
Heinemann, 1933).
Uncorrected proof inscribed by Dunsany to Evans. See Spec
PR 6007 .U6 C7x 1933.
_____________. The Travel Tale of Mr. Joseph Jorkens (London: G.
P. Putnam's Sons, 1931).
Tipped in: ALS (1932 Oct 27) from Lady Dunsany to Montgomery
Evans II. A photocopy of the letter is available in the
collection folder. See Spec PR 6007 .U6 T73x 1931.
_____________. War Poems (London: Hutchinson, 1940).
Dunsany's own copy with the title changed by Dunsany to
"Songs of an L.D.V." There are autograph notes and changes
through the book made by Lord Dunsany.
Horace. The Odes of Horace (London: William Heinemann Ltd.,
1947).
Translated by Lord Dunsany. Front end papers bear an ode
written by Dunsany, after the style of Horace. Titled "Book
I. Ode XXXIX" and dedicated "To Johannes Faber." A
photocopy of the poem is available in the collection folder.
See Spec PA 6395 .D8x 1947.